Limits and Punishments set by Allah (Hudood)
كتاب الحدود
Chapter 1: What Hudud one should beware of
Chapter 2: Illegal sexual intercourse and the drinking of alcoholic drinks
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "When an adulterer commits illegal sexual intercourse, then he is not a believer at the time he is doing it; and when somebody drinks an alcoholic drink, then he is not believer at the time of drinking, and when a thief steals, he is not a believer at the time when he is stealing; and when a robber robs and the people look at him, then he is not a believer at the time of doing it." Abu Huraira in another narration, narrated the same from the Prophet (ﷺ) with the exclusion of robbery.
Chapter 3: What is said regarding the beating of a drunk
The Prophet (ﷺ) beat a drunk with palm-leaf stalks and shoes. And Abu Bakr gave (such a sinner) forty lashes.
Chapter 4: Whoever ordered that the legal punishment was to be carried out at home
An-Nu`man or the son of An-Nu`man was brought to the Prophet (ﷺ) on a charge of drunkenness. So the Prophet ordered all the men present in the house, to beat him. So all of them beat him, and I was also one of them who beat him with shoes.
Chapter 5: Beating with stalks of date-palm leaves and shoes.
An-Nu`man or the son of An-Nu`man was brought to the Prophet (ﷺ) in a state of intoxication. The Prophet felt it hard (was angry) and ordered all those who were present in the house, to beat him. And they beat him, using palm-leaf stalks and shoes, and I was among those who beat him.
The Prophet (ﷺ) lashed a drunk with dateleaf stalks and shoes. And Abu Bakr gave a drunk forty lashes.
Abu Huraira said, "A man who drank wine was brought to the Prophet. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Beat him!" Abu Huraira added, "So some of us beat him with our hands, and some with their shoes, and some with their garments (by twisting it) like a lash, and then when we finished, someone said to him, 'May Allah disgrace you!' On that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Do not say so, for you are helping Satan to overpower him.' "
I would not feel sorry for one who dies because of receiving a legal punishment, except the drunk, for if he should die (when being punished), I would give blood money to his family because no fixed punishment has been ordered by Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) for the drunk.
We used to strike the drunks with our hands, shoes, clothes (by twisting it into the shape of lashes) during the lifetime of the Prophet, Abu Bakr and the early part of `Umar's caliphate. But during the last period of `Umar's caliphate, he used to give the drunk forty lashes; and when drunks became mischievous and disobedient, he used to scourge them eighty lashes.
Chapter 6: Cursing is disliked against the drunkard and he is not regarded as a non-Muslim
During the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) there was a man called `Abdullah whose nickname was Donkey, and he used to make Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) laugh. The Prophet (ﷺ) lashed him because of drinking (alcohol). And one-day he was brought to the Prophet (ﷺ) on the same charge and was lashed. On that, a man among the people said, "O Allah, curse him ! How frequently he has been brought (to the Prophet (ﷺ) on such a charge)!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not curse him, for by Allah, I know for he loves Allah and His Apostle."
A drunk was brought to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he ordered him to be beaten (lashed). Some of us beat him with our hands, and some with their shoes, and some with their garments (twisted in the form of a lash). When that drunk had left, a man said, "What is wrong with him? May Allah disgrace him!" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Do not help Satan against your (Muslim) brother."
Chapter 7: The thief while stealing
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When (a person) an adulterer commits illegal sexual intercourse then he is not a believer at the time he is doing it; and when somebody steals, then he is not a believer at the time he is stealing."
Chapter 8: To curse thieves without mentioning names
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah curses a man who steals an egg and gets his hand cut off, or steals a rope and gets his hands cut off." Al-A`mash said, "People used to interpret the Baida as an iron helmet, and they used to think that the rope may cost a few dirhams."
Chapter 9: Al-Hudud are expiation
We were with the Prophet (ﷺ) in a gathering and he said, 'Swear allegiance to me that you will not worship anything besides Allah, Will not steal, and will not commit illegal sexual intercourse." And then (the Prophet) recited the whole Verse (i.e. 60:12). The Prophet (ﷺ) added, 'And whoever among you fulfills his pledge, his reward is with Allah; and whoever commits something of such sins and receives the legal punishment for it, that will be considered as the expiation for that sin, and whoever commits something of such sins and Allah screens him, it is up to Allah whether to excuse or punish him."
Chapter 10: A believer is safe except if he transgresses Allah’s legal limits or takes others’ rights
Allah Apostle said in Hajjat-al-Wada`, "Which month (of the year) do you think is most sacred?" The people said, "This current month of ours (the month of Dhull-Hijja)." He said, "Which town (country) do you think is the most sacred?" They said, "This city of ours (Mecca)." He said, "Which day do you think is the most sacred?" The people said, "This day of ours." He then said, "Allah, the Blessed, the Supreme, has made your blood, your property and your honor as sacred as this day of yours in this town of yours, in this month of yours (and such protection cannot be slighted) except rightfully." He then said thrice, "Have I conveyed Allah's Message (to you)?" The people answered him each time saying, 'Yes." The Prophet (ﷺ) added, 'May Allah be merciful to you (or, woe on you)! Do not revert to disbelief after me by cutting the necks of each other.'
Chapter 11: To carry out the legal punishment; and to take revenge on those who transgress Allah’s limits and boundaries
Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) was given an option between two things, he used to select the easier of the tow as long as it was not sinful; but if it was sinful, he would remain far from it. By Allah, he never took revenge for himself concerning any matter that was presented to him, but when Allah's Limits were transgressed, he would take revenge for Allah's Sake.
Chapter 12: To inflict the legal punishment on the noble and the weak people
Usama approached the Prophet (ﷺ) on behalf of a woman (who had committed theft). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The people before you were destroyed because they used to inflict the legal punishments on the poor and forgive the rich. By Him in Whose Hand my soul is! If Fatima (the daughter of the Prophet (ﷺ) ) did that (i.e. stole), I would cut off her hand."
Chapter 13: Intercession is not recommended in the matter of legal punishment
The Quraish people became very worried about the Makhzumiya lady who had committed theft. They said, "Nobody can speak (in favor of the lady) to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and nobody dares do that except Usama who is the favorite of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). " When Usama spoke to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about that matter, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Do you intercede (with me) to violate one of the legal punishment of Allah?" Then he got up and addressed the people, saying, "O people! The nations before you went astray because if a noble person committed theft, they used to leave him, but if a weak person among them committed theft, they used to inflict the legal punishment on him. By Allah, if Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad committed theft, Muhammad will cut off her hand.!"
Chapter 14: “Cut off the hand of the thief, male or female…”
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The hand should be cut off for stealing something that is worth a quarter of a Dinar or more."